Innovative Electronic Solutions LLC

ORBIS Wooden Kinetic & Lighting Sculpture

ORBIS was created for a client’s new home who wanted something truly unique. Something which blends the classic look of wood with electronics and mechanics in a simple artistic manner. It had to be large enough to highlight a central wall in the home.

The client also wanted a separate control box which would allow visitors to interact with the Kinetic Sculpture. It needed to combine elements of old and new technologies.

In order to create such a unique Kinetic Sculpture and control box, custom 3D models were developed. Each piece 3D printed in order to test for overall fit.

Once the client approved, these same files were sent out to a laser wood cutting service. Each piece was then hand stained and carefully assembled.

Custom firmware and hardware were also needed to bring ORBIS to life. At its heart are two independent Arduino Atmega 2560 control boards. One resides underneath Orbis itself, the other in the control box and communicates via a pair of Xbee modules.

ORBIS has six distinct control modes of operation which are selected via the rotary phone dial.

Two of the operation modes allow the user to take control over ORBIS. See videos below for Kinetic and Lighting Modes.